You Can Be Free With Me
by vsbanks
Summary: Instead tragedy has befallen on Caroline Forbes, still coping with the loss of her mother Caroline knows the real truth and despite the odds against her is looking for revenge along the way she finds something she wasn't prepared for...AU


**AU – What if roles were reversed and Elena's parents never died that night on the bridge instead her life had continued as per usual, captain of the Mystic Falls cheerleading team, homecoming queen, confused girlfriend of Matt Donovan quarterback of the football team.. Were Stefan and Elena really destined after all?**

**Instead tragedy has befallen on Caroline Forbes, still coping with the loss of her mother who died on patrol while investing a series of "mysterious animal attacks" but Caroline knows the real truth and despite the odds against her she's is looking for revenge. Without any other living relatives she is taken in by the golden family, The Gilberts - Where every day is a constant reminder of all that she's lost.**

**If that wasn't enough some originals are sure to stir the pot, as well as some well kept secrets being brought to the light.**

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><p>Caroline could hear the usual bustle of the Gilberts when she rolled over to look at her alarm o'clock, it was nearly seven A.M and there was no doubt in her mind that they were already all dressed and ready for the day ahead of them. Elena in her cheer uniform, Miranda hovering over a perfectly prepared breakfast sizzling on the stovetop beneath her then Grayson would likely kiss her on the cheek before he stepped out the door heading to the hospital wishing both his kids good luck on their first day back and Jeremy would be eagerly texting Vicki who has zero interest at all, how could she when she so obviously wrapped up in Tyler's whole game. She inwardly groaned at this image of them- it all seemed so phoney. At least in her old life it felt real, yes there were tons of imperfections but it was her own life with her own imperfect mother, absent father and her own bedroom.<p>

A knock at the door startled her out of her mini pity party finally getting her up; she opened the door to Elena who sure enough was in her uniform. It just suited her, if fact whenever Caroline envisioned Elena in any sort of setting she was always in that damn uniform.

"Good morning" Elena smiled brightly pushing her way past Caroline and walked straight to their shared closest. "Do you know what you're going to wear yet?"

"I can't decide between the jean shorts with the purple top or the blue dress." Said Caroline with faux excitement, she figured with just a few more weeks of faking it and even she'd start to believe it.

"The blue dress, it shows off your summer glow." _What summer glow? _Caroline thought, most of her summer was spent inside with exception to the few nights she got drunk at the parties out in the woods but she smiled and grabbed the dress from Elena's eager hands.

"Can you believe it were seniors? I never thought this day would come." Elena rambled as she poked and prodded her face while Caroline slipped into her dress. "Matt says this will be the best year, he's positive the state finals belong to the Timberwolves." She put on a little more lip gloss while she said this, Caroline couldn't help to roll her eyes at Elena's view of things. She never thought she'd be the one to say that winning the finals was frivolous compared to the larger scale of things. When she came out dressed Elena swiveled around to better face her.

"That looks great." Gushed Elena, she padded the edge of the bed near her, where Caroline sat and Elena began to do her makeup.

"Thanks! Make me look less tired- the last thing I want is bags under my eyes for school photos." She laughed but it came out not very convincingly.

"I know you hate when I ask but how are you doing?"

"Much better today actually, it feels like a fresh start in a way." _Complete and utter bullshit _But she knew Elena would push any more after that. How could returning to the same school, surrounded by the same people but knowing everything's changed including the way they see you?

"Good, all finished!" Caroline paused only briefly to look at herself for Elena's sake and faked a smile at the image she saw looking back at her, she gave her hair a quick tousle then made a quick escape for the door.

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><p>Elena watched her friend Caroline carefully but like always when it came to any serious emotion it was like looking at a brick wall. Only this brick wall had a contagious smile, perfectly kept blonde hair and was in a blue dress. She had so much she wanted to tell Caroline, so much she wanted to share but when the accident happened everything became so hard. They used to be able to stay up all night talking about all the unimportant stuff that their lives were made up of, Elena would always talk about troubles in paradise with Matt and Caroline would talk about trouble with whatever boy of the month. It was something she was so envious of; the way Caroline seemed so passionate about every guy she ever saw.<p>

The night of the accident Elena could remember exactly where she was, she was walking over to Caroline's where she was going to meet Bonnie. Too ready to confess everything, she was going to say how she had finally made up her mind, she was going to break things off with Matt, the boy that everyone loved except her. Only that's not what she found, she found Caroline surrounded by people she didn't really know. It was clear that something awful had happened, and it took only a few seconds for Elena to piece together what.

She stood paralyzed in the doorway as Bonnie shoved past her and ran straight to her friend. She watched as her other best friend did what she should have, grabbed her and rushed her away from all those people who were trying to console her but they didn't even know her.

The memory was interrupted by Matt.

"Hey guys!" He ran over from where he was throwing a football back and forth with Tyler.

Caroline watched as the two of them kissed quickly, the gesture was so routine, so familiar. Matt seemed lost in the small moment but she could tell something was up with Elena which she found oddly irritating. The girl had everything and yet it was becoming more and more clear she was looking for more.

"I'm going to go find Bonnie, she's probably already scoping out newbies by the office." Caroline wiggled her eyebrows and set off. When she was out of hearing distance Matt points out how it seems she's doing better.

"She's faking it, I'm waiting for it all to sink in still there's no way she can be this okay after everything."

"I don't know Elena; she seems back to her old self to me. But I gotta go Coach wants to go over strategy before class." He gave her another lack luster kiss and ran off towards Tyler who was waiting; he gave a wave which Elena returned.

_That's when she saw him_.

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><p>Caroline veered straight to the library keen if only to get a few minutes alone. Tonight had to be the night that everything her mom fought to protect is secured. Her mom hadn't left much in the way of finding out what exactly what her leads were and in the beginning she only had one little detail to go on, a name. Alaric Saltzman. After having the man himself as a history teacher for a solid year she was pretty positive that he wasn't a vampire himself but she had to admit being a history teacher would be the perfect cover.<p>

Two weeks ago she finally approached him in the only fashion she knew how to, very publicly too at the Mystic Grill.

"Did you and my mom hunt vampires together?" His expression was priceless and it was the first time in two months that Caroline found herself having to stifle a real genuine laugh back.

After a good half an hour of calling the whole accusation ridiculous and convincing him that her mom actually did tell her some of the truths about the lore he broke open like a book. The two had been working together ever since and long story short that was how she found out about the Salvatore's. Native's to the Mystic Fall's area and confirmed that the younger of the two brother's had very recently returned to the surrounding area. His return fit the timeline perfectly from when the "animal attacks" began. He had to be the thing that murdered her mother and now he was going to be walking the halls of Mystic Falls High but Caroline was determined it wouldn't be for long. Their plan was going to be set into action tonight, all Caroline had to figure out was how she was going to seduce a hundred plus year old vampire.

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><p>"Alright, so I've decided your first assignment will work as an icebreaker. I've assigned partners and your task is to learn each other's history- It doesn't have be super extensive but I want it done by tomorrow and presented."<p>

Caroline watched the exchanged between her friend and the vampire nervously, besides the obvious danger in it for some reason it was harder to see the heartbreak in plain sight that had stricken Matt's face. Elena was being careless, taking for granted the boy that already loved her and sat only a few rows behind her.

"Alright Elena you'll be partnered up with…." She watched as her best friend perked up, her hope to be partnered up with the mysterious new boy was blatant on her face.

"Vicki Donovan." The two girls sunk down into their seats, both never getting along.

After going through the list the names began to dwindle down, Caroline watched as girls tried to hide their disappointment when their names weren't called out with Stefan Salvatore's.

"Stefan Salvatore you'll be paired up with Caroline Forbes." He turned around to get a look at the girl, she was obviously pretty but not in the way Elena was, actually their looks were the complete opposite. He knew about her well enough; her mother had been killed nearly four months ago in a string of on-going animal attacks. He nodded back a pang of guilt constricting a full on smile knowing very well who was behind the crimes, his brother.

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><p><strong>Hope you like it so far, I know the beginning was a little slow but I wanted to get all the setting up done in the first chapter. Prepare your self for the fluffy romance to come :) <strong>


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